Adam felt his nerves increase with every step he took. Would Roo like his flowers? Would she hate them? Would she even want to see him at all? He shook his head. Now was not the time to be afraid! Lilith had torn him down time and time again as Adam tried to repair their relationship time and time again. He kept giving and giving and giving and Adam was sick of it! It was time to shake the dust off his feet and try one more time.
Approaching the tree, he gripped the stems of the flowers tight as he got closer to the shadow, careful not to drop them. "Roo? Are you there?" A grin stretched across his face as he saw two pitch-black orbs appear within the shadow. "I got you a gift!"
Stepping closer to the shadow, he laid the flowers down onto it. Hopefully, she would like it, and absorb it into the shadow just as she had the various bits of animals he'd given her. Shark teeth, snake skin, bird feathers, and more. All to make her happy. But the flowers laid still on the ground, unabsorbed as two pitch black orbs stared at them.
"Do you like them?" Adam asked nervously. "They're called flowers. I figured you would like something bright and pretty since you're in the dark all the time and I thought that nothing could be brighter than a sunflower." He was babbling at this point, but hopefully Roo didn't notice. "You can go ahead and take them if you want."
Rippling like water, Adam stumbled back as the shadow began to darken into a thick black ooze, his nose burning as he was assaulted by the smell of sulfur. Within the black ooze, a circle appeared, a five-pointed star within it that blazed with symbols that made Adam's eyes burn from the sight of them, which was followed by a loud cracking noise, like massive teeth grinding together.
An arm so pale it had turned a strange grey color erupted from the circle, dark slime dripping from the limb, ending in sharp black fingernails. The arm dropped to the ground, and began to push upward, as if it was trying to pull itself out of the ooze. Adam inched back, some part of his mind screaming at him to run, but that all came to a halt as its head was revealed.
"Roo?" Adam felt all the fear leave him as he saw a familiar pair of black eyes gazing back, surrounded by pale cheeks and long dark hair. Another arm erupted as Roo tried to pull herself free. "Here, let me help you!" Stepping forward, his right foot sunk into the ooze. Adam yelped as he yanked it right back out, tumbling backwards onto the grass as his teeth jittered in his skull as he felt the sheer cold flow throughout his body.
Shivering despite the warmth the light brought him, Adam stood back up and saw Roo wiggling her legs until, with a soft 'pop', she was finally free. Returning to its normal shade of darkness, the ooze was replaced by the familiar shadow of the Tree of Knowledge, the smell of sulfur disappearing as if it had never been there. Pushing herself, Roo attempted to stand, only to fall back to the ground again.
"It's alright Roo, I've got you." Grabbing her pale cold hands, he helped her stand up, her knees wobbling and her teeth grinding together so loudly that it sounded like two rocks smashing together. But after a few moments, Roo managed to stand underneath her own power. And Adam…well, he finally got a good look at her.
She looked like Lilith. Her eyes and hair and skin were a different color, but he would recognize that face anywhere. Long blackened locks cascaded down her chest and back, covering large breasts and trailing down to just above her wide hips, her thighs thick and juicy. Voluptuous, was the first word Adam thought of, blushing as he stared at her, his mouth slightly agape.
Towering over him by another two heads, she was taller than either he or the First Woman, a pair of large black horns jutting from the top of her head. A long blue tongue lolled from her fanged mouth, her body twitching but standing tall all the same.
Slowly, Roo seemed to gain control over herself, her tongue slipping back into her mouth as her eyes focused on him. "A…A," Her voice was barely above a whisper, her mouth opening and closing like she was learning how to speak. "A-A-Adam. I s-spent so long working on this body, just so we could be together." A toothless smile spread across her face, but it reminded Adam of when he'd look up to Sera, hoping he'd done a task right. "H-how do I look?"
"You're perfect, Roo." Adam smiled. "Just as you've always been."
"P-perfect?" Her smile nearly split her face. "You don't know how long I've wanted to be that." She grabbed his hand, her touch cold and clammy. But he didn't care. Adam meant what he said. "To be something more than just the flawed shadow. And now," She rubbed circles on his hand. "Now I can be more with you."
Adam felt his heart thrum in his chest as she stared down at him with love and adoration he'd always craved. Different from the parental love Sera and God, different from the fraternal love of Gabriel and the Angels, this was what he'd coveted from Lilith but hadn't gotten since their earliest days together.
For the first time in a long time, Adam felt desired.
"But Adam," Roo said, her voice nearly identical to Lilith's. "Can you do something for me?"
"Name it." Adam replied. He felt an eagerness he hadn't felt in a while, to show off all the wonders of Eden. He'd take her to see the roaring waters of Perath, show her the sharks she loves so much, maybe even take her swimming with him at the beach, just as he used to with Lilith.
Roo let out a chuckle. "That's exactly what I want you to do." Adam tilted his head. He didn't understand what she meant, but Roo seemed to catch onto that. "When I am beneath the tree, within the shadows, my name is Roo. But now, I'm in the light of paradise. A new name will be needed for my new existence."
"Did you not like my old one?" Adam asked.
"I will always be your Roo." She cooed. "Just as I have always been God's Shadow, Evil, and Darkness. But within this body, I wish to be named something else. Please Adam, gift me a beautiful one."
Beautiful. Adam rubbed his chin. He needed something beautiful. Flower didn't sound too good, nor did moon or water or butterfly. This requires something better. Something with heart.
She said one of her names had been Evil, hadn't she? No, that wasn't a name, just a title. As the Lord of All Names, Adam could feel the difference. And yet...such a title reminded him of a memory he cherished, sitting with God and Lilith as they watched the sun set.
"Evil." Adam muttered, Roo tilting her head. "No, it should be something more than that. How about...Eve. Because just like the Evening Sky, you're the most beautiful piece of creation."
Eve's cheeks lit up, turning a dark shade of blue that reminded him a little of Helel. "Eve…I like that." Kneeling down, she picked up the flowers, ripping the end off the sunflower and placing it in her hair before…eating the rest of the bouquet.
"You uh…you weren't supposed to eat them." Adam said. "They were just supposed to be something pretty to look at."
"Oh." Eve said. "Sorry about that."
"No, it's fine. I'll teach you what's edible later. Give you a taste of what the food master can come up with!" He rubbed his hands together. Say what you want about him, Adam knew how to cook. "But first…you wanna go see the sharks?"
"The ones with the weird heads or the big whale ones?" Eve questioned, sashaying from side to side with excitement. He couldn't even remember the last time that Lilith was that way with him. "Can we see both? I want to see both!"
"Yeah, there down at the beach! Just don't pet them. Made that mistake a while back and it felt like rubbing rough tree bark." Adam laughed. "The Whale Shark ended up apologizing to me, and you should've seen Lilith's face when I rode it back to the beach…" His smile twisted with bitterness. "One of the last few happy memories I have with her."
"It's okay Adam." Eve smiled; her fangs exposed as she laid a hand on his shoulder. "Lilith obviously doesn't love you like I do, so why bother thinking about her with me right here? Trust me when I say that we'll make so many happy memories together that you'll forget all about her!"
"You mean it?" Adam asked. He hated how desperate he sounded, but he'd been starved for real affection for so long.
"Of course I do. Now can you escort me to the beach?" She held out her hand for him to take. Eve needed him. He didn't want to admit how good that felt. And as he took her along with him, he knew Eve was right about one thing.
They were gonna make so many happy memories together!
AN: And so it begins! Eve has arrived, and she's here to make sure Adam feels loved (by her and only her)! Yandere shenanigans shall happen soon, so keep watch, else you'll miss it!
Anyway, hope you enjoyed it! Really wanted to dive into how starved Adam was for romantic affection and how Roo was starved on any affection at all, and how it formed into the beginning of a blossoming romance. If by blossoming meaning letting the incarnation of Evil be with The First Man! :D
The Man made in the Image of God with the Woman made in the Shadow of God. A match made in the Sideways place!
As usual, you can read a chapter ahead on my p-a-t-r-e-o-n (Halo3vsloz)